


Come over here and overwhelm me

by Nakeycatstakebaths



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute found family vibes, Dad Murphy, F/M, Foster Family, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Principle Emori, Teachers AU, idiots to lovers, lots and lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nakeycatstakebaths/pseuds/Nakeycatstakebaths
Summary: Emori has dreamed of opening her own school since she was a little girl. She wanted to be a principal, to be there to support kids when they needed her most. Sanctum Day School was her chance at that dream, a school straight out of her imagination. It was everything she could've asked for--and more.Enter the new photography teacher, snarky, mysterious, and incredibly attractive. John Murphy was nothing like Emori expected, but he was everything she didn't know she needed.When a student in need brings them both together, Emori finds that being a principal isn't the only thing she's always wanted.
Relationships: Emori/John Murphy (The 100), minor Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin - Relationship
Comments: 15
Kudos: 49





	Come over here and overwhelm me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mobi_On_A_Mission](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mobi_On_A_Mission/gifts), [mylifeiskara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeiskara/gifts).



> Titled based off a Jon Bellion song :) 
> 
> Dedicated to my Memori queens aka the lovely people who introduced me to this ship and who made me fall in love with the idea of dad Murphy. Much love to you both, you're amazing :)

When Emori was in second grade—she had to spend the entire year sitting out of gym class because of her hand. When she was born, her fingers didn’t separate the way they did in typical babies, and it took a few surgeries before she was able to move them properly at all. 

Even after she was able to go back to playing with the other kids, she never forgot the way that sitting out made her feel. There was so much isolation in being different, confusion, misunderstanding. Kids were mean, and she had heard her fair share of insults during her time on the bench. 

Nobody at school ever seemed to want to help her, and her parents were already so ashamed of her disability. She never wanted to bring it up to them either. So she just suffered silently, crying in her bed late at night—asking why God made her different from everyone else.

It hurt to look back at it all now. Even with the wisdom that her disability didn’t make her less than anyone else. She knew now that her adversity made her who she was supposed to be and that her hand was a part of her forever. 

But those early years of taunting and isolation were what led her to education. They fueled her dream to open a school that helped kids accept themselves for who they were. 

Sanctum Day Academy was exactly that. 

It was a place for kids who didn’t know where to turn, who didn’t fit in with the other kids, who struggled to make friends or who didn’t have the family support they needed. 

Emori was finally able to carve out the kind of space she so desperately needed as a child. She would be able to ensure that other kids never felt the way that she had. 

It was a gift—a gift she’d worked her entire life for, and she never lost sight of that. 

Today was her first day of school—-her first day as principal. 

She knew this was a huge responsibility, that her lack of experience made her an odd choice for the job. But Emori was grateful the school board took a chance on her. 

This school was going to make a difference, and she was going to be at the head of it all. 

Of course, she was nervous. 

She’d bought a brand new outfit just for today. Crisp slacks and a cream blazer, all from Ann Taylor, the tags still sticking out from the collar. 

It didn’t really help her look less young—if anything, she looked even more like she was playing dress-up in her mom’s clothes. 

But it was the best she could do. 

After today, she could dress it down a bit, go back to her usual maxi dresses and funky earrings. But the first day of school called for a little more formality. 

“You are worthy, you are capable, you are strong,” she said to herself in the mirror, hoping that if she said it out loud, it would somehow manifest itself into the truth. 

This was it—the first day of the rest of her life. 

***

  
“Good morning, everybody,” Emori said cheerfully, holding her cup of coffee like a lifeline. 

The teachers were all intimidating. Most of them came from other conceptualized private schools, a few were college professors wanting to slow down, and a small handful were professionals, wanting to impart their knowledge on excited middle and high schoolers. 

Basically, they were all more worldly and experienced than she was. But Emori couldn’t let her insecurities show. She needed to put on a strong front, come off like she knew what she was doing. 

“I’m really excited about this group of people. I know we don’t know each other yet, but I’ve only heard excellent things about all of you. This is a very accomplished group, and there are unique things you all bring to the table,” she began, steadying her voice, searching the crowd for a friendly face to focus on. 

Her gaze landed on a brown-haired man toward the back. He didn’t seem particularly interested in the meeting, leaning back in his chair, a soft smirk etched into his sharp features. 

Well—he didn’t exactly look friendly, but it would have to do for now. 

With her eyes trained on the man in the back, she spoke about her backstory, what drew her to education and how she found herself at Sanctum. 

As she spoke, he drew himself up, until his gaze turned to meet hers directly. 

There was something intense about it. 

Emori was suddenly glad she was done speaking because she probably would’ve tripped over her words from the shock. 

“I’d like to turn things over to Assistant Head of School Bellamy Blake now,” she announced, stepping down so   
Bellamy could take her place at the front of the room.

Even now, Emori could feel the man’s eyes on her, and something made her want to go and sit beside him. But instead, she took her place in the front row, sitting beside Bellamy’s wife Clarke while she beamed up at him with pride. 

It was going to be a very long year—she’d barely gotten through her first morning, and she already felt like she’d gotten the wind knocked out of her. 

***

  
“Miss ‘Mori, I can't find my class,” a little redheaded girl said with a hint of panic in her voice, she was clutching her schedule close to her chest, eyes flicking nervously around the hallway. 

Emori smiled gently at her, hoping the gesture would put her at ease, before taking the schedule from her. 

“You’re in the outdoor classroom! It’s kind of in a weird spot. No big deal,” she assured, guiding the girl down one of the wide hallways, toward the back door. 

The outdoor classroom was one of her favorite parts of the school, it had a small pen of chickens, beds of vegetables for the students to tend to and large glass panels for finger painting. 

She loved every part of it. 

“So, this is your class…” she began to explain, stepping over to two neat rows of picnic tables just in time to see one of the young boys burst into tears and run away. 

“I uh—I’m going to go take care of that,” the teacher explained, the dark-haired man from before—the one she’d been very unsubtly staring at during her speech. 

He ran after the student, leaving Emori with twenty kids, all of whom had massive cameras around their necks and were looking at her expectantly. 

Of all the classes she had to stumble into today, it had to be photography. 

“I think today is a good day to slow down a little bit, don’t you think? Why don’t we put the cameras away for now,” she began, unsure of where she was going with this but hoping the kids would take to it well. “A lot of art is finding beauty in everyday things. Everything has beauty in it, you just have to know where to look. I want you all to walk around, explore the outdoor classroom, and find one thing that most people think is ordinary but that you find beautiful. Make a mental note of it, and we’ll all get together to share at the end of class.” 

The students nodded, tucking away their massive cameras before filing out to explore the green space. 

Emori sighed in relief as she sat back on one of the picnic tables, watching the students sift through the grass and examine cracks in the brick. 

“Miss. ‘Mori,” one of the students said, shuffling her foot on the ground nervously. “I think I know what’s wrong with Luca...but I don’t know if I’m supposed to say.” 

If she remembered correctly, the student was Bellamy and Clarke’s daughter—Madi. Which was definitely an added layer of complication to an already complicated situation. 

“If something is hurting Luca, it’s important that an adult knows so that we can help him,” she said carefully, sitting beside Madi. 

“I know—I just, I don’t know...it’s…” 

But before Madi could continue, the teacher returned with Luca, and Madi bounced away, following Luca toward the chicken coop. 

“Thanks for covering all this. I’m John, by the way, I don’t think we’ve officially met,” he said, sitting beside her at the picnic table. 

Emori introduced herself, forgetting for a moment that she was technically this man’s boss. All she could really think about was the way his mouth tilted up at the corner. 

“Did he tell you what was wrong?” She asked, trying her best to sit comfortably in her stiff blazer. 

“He just hugged me for a really, really long time. Poor kid, I think he’s really struggling.” 

“Madi said something kind of weird—I’m a little worried about his home situation,” she admitted, sad that this was already something they were running into but grateful that Luca was somewhere he could get help. 

John ran a hand through his long hair, tousling it a little as he mulled her over words. He looked over to where the kids were running around and tumbling in the grass to look at weeds. Something unreadable crossed his face, his brows knitting together sternly. 

They didn’t say anything more about it—just watched the kids explore the outdoors. 

She could tell he was just as worried about the home situation as she was, but she had a feeling there was more to his reaction than she could possibly understand. 

***

  
“He just crumpled Bell, completely broke down out of nowhere,” Murphy sighed, sinking into a desk that was entirely too small. 

His first day on the job, and he was already losing it. At a school like this, he’d expected to run into kids with some difficulties, but Murphy wasn’t prepared to face something this personal so early on. 

He knew the look on Luca’s face, understood the kind of thing that drives a kid to break down during school. 

The idea of it alone made him want to punch straight through a wall. 

But he couldn’t do that. Not anymore. He was a teacher now, this kid was counting on him to be a stable source of support. 

He wanted to be that for Luca. 

“Just breathe Murph. Clarke and Emori are talking to Madi right now. Hopefully, we’ll understand what’s going on afterward,” Bellamy assured, looking toward the closed classroom door. 

“I’m not actually a teacher, remember? I don’t know how to handle this. I take pictures for a living,” he sighed, knowing this wasn’t productive, but he couldn’t help but let his insecurities slip out. 

It’d been in the back of his mind today, the fact that he wasn’t trained to deal with things like this. He hadn’t known the right thing to say to Luca, and it was his fault that they were all sitting here after work hours dealing with this now. 

He should’ve let Emori handle it, she would’ve known exactly what to do. She was probably a few years younger than him and Bellamy, but she was the most poised and well-spoken person he’d ever met. 

If he was going to be a teacher, she was exactly the kind of principle he wanted to work under. 

It was kind of an added benefit that she was beautiful—he wasn’t exactly complaining about that part either. Although it did make it a little hard to focus when she was talking to him. Even when he was trying really hard, he got distracted by the way her eyes shone when she smiled. 

“You are a teacher now. And as someone who's been one for years, you handled that as well as could be expected,” Bellamy assured, trying and failing to sit in one of the tiny desks before he just settled on the carpet. “Go easy on yourself.” 

They sat in companionable, silence, Murphy crammed in a tiny desk and Bellamy on the floor. 

Eventually, Clarke and Emori returned with Madi, both looking a little more somber than they had before they’d left. 

“How’s my baby?” Bellamy asked, swooping Madi up and spinning her in a circle. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it? Let’s get you a Snickers bar from the vending machine.” 

Still holding his daughter—who was frankly a little too old to be carried comfortably, Bellamy dipped into the hallway, leaving the three of them standing in silence. 

“Luca’s parents passed away last year,” Emori sighed, sitting on top of a desk. “He’s been with a foster family ever since.” 

“Not the good kind,” Clarke added, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “They basically just pretend he doesn’t exist. And according to Madi, the dad is big on ‘tough love’...” 

Murphy involuntarily flinched at that, the desire to punch through a wall of some kind hitting him once again. 

“So, what’s the call?” 

“I mean, Bellamy and I can handle it from here—“ Emori began. 

But before she could finish, he cut in. There was no way he could step away from this now. It hit too close to home, tugged at his heart in a way that he hadn’t let anything do in a long time. 

“I’m here to help. Seriously, I want to do what I can.” 

***

  
“Hey,” Emori said, peeking her head through the door frame of John’s classroom. 

She hadn’t had the chance to speak with him since the first day of school. Between the general hecticness of starting school, coupled with nonstop calls to CPS and daily check-ins with Luca—there just wasn’t time. 

He was tipped back in his chair, sleeves of his button-up rolled up to his elbows, hair mussed, top button undone. 

It took every ounce of willpower Emori had to drag her eyes away from the small sliver of exposed skin around his collar. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she was so attracted to someone, so drawn to the idea of a person. 

After they met, she dug out his resume, looked through it like a few lines of professional accomplishments would be able to give her a little bit more about this very hot and very intriguing man. 

All it did was make her crush worse though—John was wildly exciting, had traveled the world taking pictures and meeting people. He was a journalist, an anthropologist, and now he was a teacher at her school.

A damn good one at that. 

He made a point to meet with Luca before and after school every day this week, made him lunches, talked to him. 

Every time she met with Luca, all he could do was talk about John. 

It only felt fair that she kept him up to date on what was going on. 

“What’s up? Do you want one?” he asked, straightening up in his seat and popping open a plastic container of cookies. 

She probably shouldn’t take one, but they looked homemade, and the idea that this man also baked on top of everything else was a little too much to handle. 

“I wanted to update you on the Luca situation,” she began, chewing thoughtfully on a cookie. “You’re already a pretty important part of his life, so it only felt right to keep you in the loop.” 

Murphy nodded, his smile slowly fading as he took in her words. 

They both knew there was no such thing as a happy outcome when it came to something like this. 

“He and I have a lot in common,” he supplied, not elaborating further. “I think it makes it easier for him to open up.” 

Emori nodded, trying to tread as carefully as possible through what she was about to say next. 

“They evaluated his foster family, and based on our reports, he’s being moved. But…” she paused, knowing there was no good way to say what was coming next. “The home they found is almost an hour away. It’s a big ask to have a family drive him here every day...” 

“So, he's leaving? Going to another school?” John asked, drawing his lip between his teeth, clearly very upset. 

“I tried everything, but this is the best they can do considering the circumstances,” she sighed, knowing that it wasn’t a perfect answer. 

She was upset too, mad at the system, angry that such a sweet kid was going through something so terrible. 

But Emori was at a loss. The system was broken, and she couldn’t think of a solution in a matter of days. 

There was nowhere else for Luca to go. 

“He’s already made so much progress. And he has Madi and all of us,” he continued scrubbing a hand over his face. “I—“ 

There was a long pause as Emori gave him the space to process the news. It was obvious his brain was running a mile a minute. 

“I’m going to fix this,” he said, standing up out of his chair and leaving her sitting across from his empty desk. 

***

  
“Are you sure about this?” Bellamy asked, pacing the length of Murphy’s living room. “It’s a lot to take on.” 

“Things like this happen, Murphy. It isn’t your fault, and you didn’t fail him,” Clarke added from her place on his armchair. 

Murphy adjusted the flowers he bought from Trader Joe’s on his coffee table, hoping that it would make his small house look more like a home. 

“I need to do this,” he said, wiping the imaginary dust off the table. 

And the truth was, he did. 

When Murphy was a kid, he’d stayed up at night wishing someone would save him from his mom. There were days he wanted more than anything that a random uncle or aunt would show up and just take him away. 

But that never happened, and it took him working his ass off, spending his evenings at a deep fryer with an AP Bio textbook propped above it to get away. 

He wanted better for Luca—Luca deserved better than what Murphy dealt with. 

So even though he was only 26, and he wasn’t married, and he definitely wasn’t rich, he was going to take Luca in. 

There wasn’t much he could give, but he knew better than most that a stable place to sleep, dinner on the table, help with homework, and a few hugs at night went further than most people realized. 

“You’re going to be great,” Clarke said after a long pause, standing to wrap an arm around his shoulders. “I’m proud of you.” 

Bellamy stood too, closing the hug from the other side. It was comforting, something they’d done since they were in high school, a simple gesture but meaningful all the same. 

Bellamy and Clarke were part of why it didn’t feel like he was drowning. They were his family, had taken care of him when he didn’t know how to take care of himself.

He was going to do this, and everything was going to be okay. 

***

“I hope this isn’t weird,” Emori said, curling up in the corner of her couch, an old episode of Gilmore Girls muted in the background. “I got your number from Bellamy. I wanted to ask how today went.” 

She wasn’t really sure what was professional and what wasn’t anymore—but when it came to John and Luca, she couldn’t bring herself to care about protocol. 

“I think the home visit went well. The social worker seemed to like me, and I passed the background check. It’s a little easier because I’m a teacher, I think, I don’t have to take some of the coursework for fostering,” John explained, voice sounding gruff, less formal than he did at work. “I’m a little nervous, though.” 

“You’re going to be great. Luca never stops talking about you. Everything is Murphy this and Murphy that,” she laughed, settling back against the cushions, glad that the conversation shifted toward more casual. 

“Trust me, I’m not that great,” he chuckled, laughing warmly through the phone. It left a knot in Emori’s chest, a strong desire to hear him laugh over and over, hitting her out of nowhere. 

“Do you prefer Murphy, everyone calls you that but I didn’t want to assu—“ 

“I like it when you call me John,” he said, the weight of it making her suddenly feel warm all over. 

Fuck. 

She was hoping it was just a passing interest, but the more she got to know him, the more she liked John. 

This was dangerous, and she wasn’t sure if it was even allowed. 

Not that he liked her back or anything, John had so much on his plate—he was about to take on a massive amount of responsibility. The last thing he needed was to have her flirting with him. 

Emori needed to get ahold of herself, she was his boss, this crush needed to go away—fast. 

“I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything, you can call me anytime. I want to help however I can, I’m thrilled that Luca is going to have a safe place to stay,” she rambled, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious. The longer she talked, the more she regretted this call. 

He most definitely thought she was a weirdo. 

“I really appreciate it. You really go above and beyond, I’m in awe of you,” he replied, apparently unphased by her awkwardness. 

“I’ve wanted to be a principal my entire life. There’s nothing else in the world I would rather do,” she said simply, sharing more than she intended to. 

As awkward as she felt, she didn’t want this conversation to end. 

“This uhh—may not be appropriate, but I’m having a little dinner this weekend as a welcome home for Luca. It’s not going to be anything fancy, just Bellamy, Clarke, and Madi. I uh—think it would mean a lot to Luca if you came.” 

It was an innocent ask, sweet even. But Emori could feel her entire body blushing. She wasn’t sure why, but this felt like something bigger than just a dinner invitation. 

***

Murphy changed out of his button-down and into a worn Indiana University sweatshirt. He wanted to look casual, homey. It was important for him to differentiate between the parental figure version of himself and the teacher version. 

Luca was going to be here any minute, and he needed everything to be perfect. 

He might have gone a little overboard. He probably didn’t need to make lasagna, brownies, rolls, and cookies. But they could eat the leftovers for the next few days. 

Bellamy and Clarke had helped him set everything up. Luca had his own room, with a soccer theme, a brand new bedspread, and a closet full of clothes that Murphy hoped were the right size. 

He’d done everything he could possibly think of to make Luca feel more welcome, but he still couldn’t help but feel like he hadn’t done enough. 

Strange as it seemed, he wanted to call Emori. They barely knew each other, but it felt like she would know the right thing to say, she would be able to make him feel better. 

There was something about her that made his chest feel tight. She was exceptional, the kind of person that put everyone around her at ease. It was more than just her eyes or her smile, Emori cared so deeply about people, it was so obvious even to a relative stranger. 

He wanted to get to know her better, wanted her to be a part of his life. 

Overwhelmed as he was, it felt like his life was falling into place, like everything was happening at light speed. But for the first time ever, it felt like things were going the way he was supposed to. There was a contentment that he’d never experienced, a sureness that he was doing the right thing, around the right people. 

Murphy was excited about the future, and he couldn’t bring himself to be pessimistic right now. 

Pulling out his phone, he snapped a picture of the dinner table. He sent it to Bellamy and Clarke, without a caption because they didn’t really need one. 

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually sent it to Emori too. 

_“Might’ve gone a little overboard…”_ he typed out, deciding against an emoji before he pressed send. 

She replied in seconds, which was a relief because he honestly couldn’t take any more stress. 

_“He’s going to love it. Happy first night as a family (even if there’s just two of you, you are a family now!) I’m really excited for you,”_ she replied, another set of typing bubbles appearing immediately after. _“If you have extra baked goods, please bring me some. I’m still dreaming about that cookie from the other day. 😉”_

A warm satisfaction settled in his chest, Emori liked his cookies. He would bake an entire new batch for her if she wanted him too. Plus, this gave him a great excuse to go visit her office. 

He had an in with possibly the most amazing girl he’s ever met, and he was about to become a foster dad. For the first time in his entire life, John Murphy was optimistic. 

***

  
“Do you need help with dishes?” She asked, bringing a few plates over to the sink. 

It was just the two of them now, Clarke and Bellamy had to leave early for some sort of insane adult kickball league practice that Murphy hadn’t even wanted to ask about. And Luca and Madi disappeared an hour ago, still playing with an old soccer ball in the backyard. 

“You’re my guest! I’m not letting you wash dishes,” he gasped, feigning astonishment. “Relax, there’s more wine on the table. I’ll be done here in a second.” 

He hoped she would take him up on his offer, that they would get a chance to sit down and talk. 

Things were finally settling down. 

The school was good, Luca was adjusting well, and Emori didn’t seem sick of him yet. 

Raising an eyebrow at him, Emori poured two more glasses of wine, sitting back at the kitchen table with one of his brownies. 

“Where did you learn to bake like this? At this rate I’m going to become 99% brownie,” she asked over the rim of her wine glass 

“I worked in dining services in college. Just me and a bunch of little old ladies. They taught me everything I know. You just ate Miss. Denise’s chicken piccata recipe,” he explained, laughing to himself as he wiped off his hands. Those were some of his favorite memories, afternoons in a warm kitchen with the cafeteria ladies, it was the first time since he was a little kid that he’d felt truly loved. “They really took care of me. Miss. Denise had me over for Christmas every single year I was in school. I guess she kind of figured I didn’t have anywhere to go.” 

He hadn’t intended to open up so much all at once, but there was something about Emori that made him want to share parts of himself that he usually kept hidden. 

“And now you’re that person for someone else, chicken piccata and all. That’s pretty special.” 

Murphy grinned at that, collecting his wine glass as he gestured for Emori to follow him to the living room. 

“I definitely didn’t set out to do this. It kind of just happened. But I can’t say I have any regrets,” he said, settling on one end of the sofa. 

Emori sat across from him, and he couldn’t help the way his heartbeat ticked at how domestic it all was. 

“We can’t all be born teachers like you,” he added, meaning every word. Emori looked totally at home when they were in school, like it was where she belonged. 

She blushed, hiding a little behind her wine glass, obviously thrown off by the compliment. 

“I don’t know about being a born teacher...it’s kind of the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do…” 

She trailed off, and there was a long pause before she continued. 

“I didn’t fit in as a kid, turns out, nobody wanted to be friends with the girl who had the weird hand. It was lonely—and—-disability advocacy was not something my parents cared about. I wanted to take care of kids like me, make sure that nobody ever felt like they were worthless because they were different.” 

Emori held up her hand for emphasis, until now, Murphy hadn’t noticed, but her fingers were shorter than on a typical hand with a few of them fused together. 

“That’s incredible—you're incredible. And this, is just what makes you, you,” he smiled, reaching out to hold her wrist. 

It was bold, he knew that. But he was powerless to Emori’s draw. The more he got to know her, the more incredible she became. 

In fact, he couldn’t even remember what his life was like before all this. Before Luca and Emori. They were both already such a big part of his world, and he’d only known them for a handful of weeks. 

They sat in companionable silence, his hand still around her wrist, air heavy from their conversation. 

“I—“ he began, wanting to say more, to tell Emori how much he liked her. 

But Luca burst through the back door before he got the chance. 

“Muuurrphhy!?! Do we have any more brownies? We are starving. It is an emergency,” Luca called, running into the living room with Madi trailing closely behind. 

Without even pausing, he lunged directly at Murphy, landing squarely in his lap and knocking the air out of his lungs. 

But he hugged him tightly anyway, rocking him like he was three instead of eleven. He could tell Luca was starved for that kind of attention, and Murphy was never one to turn down hugs. 

“An emergency, huh? I think me and Emori ate all the brownies...but I have some carrot sticks laying around.” 

“That’s disgusting,” Luca frowned, pulling away from the hug so he could make a face. “What about cupcakes?” 

Emori snorted at that, scooting over on the couch so Madi could sit beside her. 

This, of course, moved her closer to him, their thighs now pressed together. 

“You’re lucky I like you kiddo,” Murphy teased, letting Luca wiggle away so he could grab that plate of dessert from the kitchen. He needed to get some space from Emori before he did something incredibly stupid. 

***

  
“Luca! Wake up, we have school,” Murphy called, running into Luca’s room. 

Luca—was not having it. 

He pulled the covers over his head, burrowing back into his mattress. 

“It’s Saturday,” he mumbled, tossing a stuffed pig vaguely in Murphy’s direction. 

Shoot. 

It was Saturday. 

“I’m so sorry buddy, I lost track of the days,” he said, rubbing a hand down Luca’s narrow back over the covers. “Go back to sleep.” 

But Luca’s messy brown hair stuck up out of the covers, surprisingly alert considering the circumstances. 

“I’m awake now, though. Can we watch TV in your room?” He asked, so hopeful that there was no way Murphy could say no. 

“Go climb in bed and find something to watch. I’ll make us some breakfast.” 

An hour later, with stomachs full of pancakes, they sprawled out on Murphy’s bed, watching old episodes of Avatar The Last Airbender. 

“What kind of bender do you think I would be?” Luca asked, pillowing his head on Murphy’s chest, his eyes still glued to the TV. 

Gently running his fingers through Luca’s long hair, Murphy pondered the question. He understood this was a very important matter of identity and lore. 

“You’re very grounded, everything you do has a purpose. I think you would be an earth bender,” he said after a long pause. 

“I like that,” Luca replied, turning so he could look up at Murphy. “I don’t think you would be a bender. But you would have a cool boomerang like Sokka!” 

It was the perfect lazy Saturday, just the two of them watching cartoons and eating junk food. Emori’s words from the first night sat in the back of his mind. She was right—even if it was just the two of them, they were a family. 

But he did find himself longing for a third—wanting a partner to round out their family. 

“I have an idea. I want you to be honest, okay,” he began, knowing that if he was going to do this, he had to make sure Luca was okay every step of the way. 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“How would you feel about inviting Miss ‘Mori to come to hang out with us tomorrow?” 

“That sounds fun. I like Miss ‘Mori a lot. Plus, we had a lot of special hang out time today, so it’s okay if someone else hangs out with us tomorrow,” Luca shrugged, turning back to the episode. 

He said it like it was the most obvious thing, but the implication that Luca thought today was special, that he liked just hanging out and watching TV together, was one of the best feelings in the world. 

***

  
Emori had changed clothes at least twenty times. She was weirdly nervous, nothing looked right. Everything was too formal or too casual or just wrong. 

They were only going to the farmers market. It wasn’t supposed to be a huge deal. But this was the first time John invited her to do something without Bellamy and Clarke. 

Sure—Luca was going to be there, but somehow that made it feel like an even bigger deal. 

She finally settled on a light yellow sundress, with a matching scarf wrapped through her hair. 

It felt a little ridiculous now that she was standing in the middle of the Arkadia Farmer’s Market, next to the sunflower display. 

But it was too late to change now. 

“Miss. Mori! Miss Mori! I like your dress, you match the sunflowers,” Luca chirped, running up to her and throwing his skinny arms around her torso. 

It was kind of amazing how much progress he’d made in such a short time. Surely, most of it was due to having a stable parental figure to love him and support him, but she’d like to think some of it was due to the school too. 

She hugged him back tightly, smoothing down the pieces of his hair that were wildly sticking up. 

“Are you guys hungry? I think I saw a waffle stand somewhere over there.” 

“Absolutely starving. Especially for waffles!” Murphy agreed, greeting her with a warm smile. 

The sight of it alone made her heart jump in her chest. Three months of knowing this man and the sight of his smile was still enough to make her lose her train of thought. 

They spent the day walking through the stalls, smelling artisan soaps, and sharing bites of random things they bought along the way. 

It was perfect in a simple way, and Emori wanted to hold onto it forever. The soft folk band playing the Decemberists, shared sips of blueberry lattes with Murphy, the wide-eyed excitement when Luca saw a squash bigger than his entire body. 

Oddly, even though it didn’t really make sense, this felt like where she belonged. Not the farmers market, but with Murphy and Luca. They all fit together in a way she never saw coming, the conversation flowing effortlessly, the comfortable affection of sharing food, and casual touches. 

Everything before today suddenly felt lonely, like she hadn’t known what she was missing. 

***

  
Two months into school, Emori finally gave up on the formal work attire. It just wasn’t her. Nobody cared anyway, she might as well be herself. 

So she traded in her Ann Taylor slacks for floor length Maxi dresses and Birkenstocks. It made it far easier to walk around the campus, trek through the grass, and run around in the outdoor classroom. It took her a moment of adjustment, but she’d finally found her groove. 

“Alyssa, get that yearbook draft in to me by tomorrow, and we can start editing,” she called to one of the high schoolers as they breezed past her. 

Emori was finally learning all her students' names, remembering each of their quirks. She was running yearbook now and coaching the fencing team. 

Not to mention, John ate lunch with her every, single day. 

Sometimes he brought her desert, sometimes she brought him extra of whatever she’d whipped up the night before. 

It was a simple gesture, and it’d quickly become their ritual. 

Usually, they talked about what books they were reading, swapped stories about the kids and all the craziness from school, John shared tidbits about Luca, told her about the ups and downs of being a foster parent. 

One day, John brought out his camera. Not the one he used for his photography classes, the real professional one with the massive, expensive lens. He spent that period clicking pictures of her doing random things, filing, sitting, reading, eating her salad. 

“These are beautiful,” he marked, flipping through them on the tiny screen. “I’ll print a few out for you.” 

It should have felt ridiculous, but there was something intimate about it. He was inviting her into his artistic process, showing her a side of himself that nobody ever got to see. 

The more time they spent together, the more undeniable it became. 

She was falling for John Murphy. 

***

“Miss. Mori? Do you think Murphy would let us watch one more?” Luca asked, untucking himself just enough from Emori’s side that he could give her puppy dog eyes. 

They’d already binged half a season of Great British Bake off, and it was most definitely past Luca’s bedtime. 

But it wasn’t a school night, and she loved spending time with him. Secretly, she kind of hoped Murphy agreed. 

Luca staying up also meant that she had an excuse to stay over a little longer. 

It was already late—but the idea of going home right now was almost painful. 

They’d had the perfect Friday evening, made a slip and slide in the backyard, eaten tuna casserole for dinner, and spent the rest of the night eating warm cookies and watching GBB. 

She really didn’t want it to end. In fact, Emori wanted nothing more than to tuck Luca into bed and spend the night with Murphy. 

But obviously—-that wasn’t an option. 

“You’ve got soccer practice in the morning bud, remember? Clarke is coming to pick you up at 8:30. I’m sorry, it’s a firm bedtime tonight,” Murphy said, sounding genuinely apologetic as he peeled the blanket off of Luca. 

He whined pathetically, burying his face in Emori’s shoulder. 

“C’mon kiddo,” Murphy coaxed, sitting on Luca’s other side, so he was sandwiched between them. 

“How about I promise you that I’ll wait, and we can watch the rest of the season the next time I come over?” she offered, stroking his hair. 

“Ugh fine…” he resigned, squeezing out from between them. “Goodnight!!” 

And just like that, they were alone. 

The room was awkward, like neither of them knew what to do with themselves. 

It was incredibly confusing. 

Sometimes Emori was so sure that he liked her back, and then other times, it felt like they were just really close friends. 

Right now, did not feel like a romantic moment at all. 

She felt like a guest who had overstayed her welcome. 

***

  
After last weekend, Emori figured it was appropriate to give herself some space from John. The whole thing was confusing, not just for her but for Luca too. 

Even though she missed them like crazy, this was for the best. 

What she hadn’t anticipated, though, was how much of her social life had come to revolve around the two of them. 

She didn’t really know what to do with herself in the evenings anymore, she’d grown so accustomed to cooking dinner with John, helping Luca with his homework and watching TV with them before bedtime. 

In fact, she was spending so much time at John’s house, her fridge barely had any food in it. 

Apparently, it was time to go to Trader Joe’s. 

It was a lonely week, one spent watching Gilmore Girls reruns and catching up with old college friends over the phone. 

She missed John and Luca, wanted to call them, but she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what she was to them. 

Eventually, she started bringing some work home, shuffling through it while she made herself simple dinners, or listened to podcasts. 

It wasn’t exactly exciting, but it was nice to have her rhythm back. 

Emori was just settling back into her routine when she came home to a small lake in her kitchen and a stream of water flowing out of her cabinet. 

Her first instinct was to call John. 

And he was knocking on her door before she could even process what she’d done. 

“I came prepared,” he grinned, holding up a box full of tools. “Between you and me, I borrowed these from Bellamy because I’ve never actually had to do repairs.” 

With that, he breezed past her, oddly confident for someone who didn’t know what he was doing. 

He was in his weekend clothes, worn jeans that were torn around the ankle, and an old IU shirt that had a few bleach stains around the hem. 

And all she could think about were the way his biceps flexed when he dipped under the sink, the thin line of exposed skin the peeked out while he was examining the leak. 

Her crush was very much still present, that was for sure. 

“Can you hand me that wrench with the red handle,” he asked, voice muffled from the cover of her cabinets. 

Emori handed it to him, and two squeaks later, the water flow stopped completely. 

“Don’t get too excited. I just closed the valve,” he explained, slipping back out to face her. “I am very much unqualified to fix whatever is actually going on down there.” 

She couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. He was a photographer, and a teacher—why she’d thought he could fix a sink was beyond comprehension. 

Except deep down, she knew this whole thing had nothing to do with the sink. 

It’d only been a week, but she missed John immensely. 

Seeing him now, almost felt like a relief. 

“Hey, there’s no more water, that's progress as far as I’m concerned,” she agreed, giving him a careful smile. “Let me get you a beer for your trouble, at least.” 

He took the offered bottle without much protest, following her out onto her screened porch. 

Once again, an awkward silence fell between them. Emori wanted to explain her recent distance, hoped he didn’t think that she hated him or anything—but she didn’t know where to start without him finding out that she had a massive, pathetic crush on him. 

“We missed you this week,” he said, completely unprompted, totally throwing Emori off her train of thought. 

He had missed her. 

“I missed you guys too, I got kind of caught up with work and life,” she explained, knowing her excuse wasn’t very believable. 

“I know we take up a lot of your time. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. There’s no way I would’ve been able to handle all this without you.” 

“John, I’ve loved every second of getting to know you and Luca. You never ever need to thank me. And you absolutely could’ve done it without me, you and Luca were meant to be,” she said, and she meant every word. They’d given her just as much as she’d given them, there was never a point during all this where she felt like she was doing them a favor. 

There was a pause as John took her in, the weight of his stare boring into her, like he was trying to see through her skin into what was simmering underneath. 

“I filed for adoption. Luca is going to be my son—if all goes well, that is. We’re going to be a family, like officially,” he supplied after a long pause, a small smile playing on his lips, like he couldn’t quite believe that it was happening. 

Without thinking, Emori stood, almost tackling John in her excitement. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him as tightly as possible. 

It was the best news she’d gotten in a really long time. 

This wasn’t even her milestone to celebrate, and she was so happy she could cry. 

He hugged her back just as tightly, arms strong around her, the light press of his lips fluttering against the skin of her neck. 

Emori pulled back just enough to cup John’s face, cradling it in her hands. 

“You are the best dad. I am so happy for you,” she said, hoping that all her emotions came through the way she wanted them to. “It’s been one of my favorite experiences to see your family grow.” 

John closed his eyes, almost like he was steadying himself before he said anything else. 

“You’re our family, too, ‘Mori. Maybe I could’ve done all this without you, but I wouldn’t have wanted to,” he said, covering one of her hands on his cheek with his own. “You are such a big part of what made these past few months so special.” 

Looking at John, the feel of his hand against hers, the weight of his words. Emori felt like she might burst into tears.

She didn’t know what to do. 

Never in her entire life had she been so emotionally overwhelmed. 

All the times she’d pictured being this close to John, she’d never expected him to be soaking wet and for both of them to be on the verge of tears. 

But it was also kind of perfect, and distinctly them. 

She cared about him so much, more than she’d ever thought she would. This was so much deeper than liking his crooked smile or the way he looked at her like she was the only person on earth. 

That’s what was so terrifying about all this. 

What she felt for John, what they shared—it was big, scary, life-changing, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it without exploding into a million pieces herself. 

They’d only met a few months ago, but it felt like she’d known him for her entire life. 

And then, on the floor of her covered porch, while the circuits chirped around them and her sink dripped endlessly, he kissed her. 

Every doubt she’d ever had slipped away in a matter of seconds.

John Murphy was kissing her, and it was more incredible than anything she could’ve imagined. 

His lips were soft, moving softly with hers, guiding her, urging her mouth open. And he held her, just tight enough that she knew he wasn’t going to let go. 

It was safe and perfect, and it felt like home. 

He tried to pull back, but she chased his lips, hands still framing his face. 

Her heart was beating so wildly, she was sure he could hear it in her chest. 

Finally, after she’d lost all perception of time. They pulled apart, still staying close enough that their foreheads were pressed together. 

“You are everything, Emori. You and Luca—that’s all I need to be happy,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to her lips. 

This time, she did let herself cry a little, a touch of vulnerability she never would allow herself otherwise. 

But this was her and John, and he wanted to be with her, and she wanted to be with him. 

This was her future, her family, and she couldn’t possibly be more grateful. 

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I loved writing from Emori's perspective. It was a find chance and it was really easy to sink into her POV. This is a blast to write, at my core kid fics are what make me happiest! 
> 
> I hope y'all liked this one!! I would love love love to hear what you think, especially since I'm still kind of new to this ship. 
> 
> Stay safe and healthy, much love to y'all <3 
> 
> As always you can find me on Tumblr @Nakey-cats-take-bathss if you want to be friends or just chat!


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